Aidrivers has announced the signing of a partnership with the Land Systems arm of Singapore-based ST Engineering. “The partnership will look at ways to combine Aidrivers expertise in retrofitting autonomous prime movers with ST Engineering’s full suite of automated engineering solutions including autonomous vehicle management systems, cybersecurity, 5G communications system and tele-operations. The requirement for horizontal automation at smart ports and container terminals of the future is increasing and this collaboration is designed to meet these demands,” the companies said in a statement.
There are several companies in the automation space that claim to be able to retrofit technology to terminal tractors to enable them to operate as autonomous vehicles. Although none of these retrofits have been deployed in commercial operations so far, Aidrivers has generated significant interest from terminal operators and equipment OEMs, and previously signed agreements with Gaussin, and more recently with Sany.
Aidrivers has developed its sensor fusion technology, which uses LiDar and other sensors, to the point where it can be integrated into an existing manned vehicle, such as a terminal tractor. “Aidrivers are currently working on a number of autonomous prime mover projects and are experiencing growing demand from port operators to implement horizontal automation to improve safety, productivity and demand for skilled labour,” the company stated. “Aidrivers offers a range of autonomous solutions, particularly autonomous trailer based heavy vehicles for both brown field and greenfield terminals”.
Dr Rafiq Swash, founder and believer of Aidrivers added, “We are delighted to be partnering with ST Engineering who is one of the leading players in robotics and autonomous systems. This partnership enables us to meet the needs of port operators and I am excited about the opportunities ahead of us.”
